Multicolor web offset press



July 3, 1962 B. c. POLGLASE, JR 3,

MULTICOLOR WEB OFFSET PRESS Filed Sept. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vuuuuuuwunuvnnn INVEN TOR AT TORNE Y5 y 1962 BFC. POLGLASE, JR 3,041,966

MULTICOLOR WEB OFFSET PRESS Filed Sept. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h g I z, g

INVENTOR 1 age BY ATTORNEY;

United States Patent 3,ti41,966 MULTICOLQR WEB (EFFSET PRESS Burton C. Polglase, in, White Plains, N.Y., assignor to R. Hoe 8: Co., Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 842,092 7 Claims. (Q1. MIL-139) This invention relates to improvements in multicolor web offset presses.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with presses of the type in which a number of plate and blanket cylinders are grouped around a common large impression cylinder.

Machines of this type have advantages in the maintenance of positive web control and precise color register, but have disadvantages due to excessive size of the impression cylinder or undue crowding of the other elements Where the impression cylinder is kept down to a reasonable and economical size.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine of the common impression cylinder type in which the inking and dampening devices are movable to permit full and easy acess to the plate and blanket cylinders.

Another object is to provide means for moving back the ink motions while permitting the dampening rollers to remain in contact with the plate cylinders.

With these and other objects which will appear in the following full description in mind, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts and details of construction which will now first be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side view of a printing unit embodying the invention in a preferred form; and

FIG. 2 is a detail View showing a dampening mechanism.

The arrangement of FIG. 1 is quite similar to known arrangements heretofore usedin letter press or relief printing machines and such as shown, for example, in Harless and Polglase application, Serial No. 422,456, filed December 4, 1954 for Inking Mechanism for Printing Machines, now Patent No. 2,915,008, issued December 1, 1959, and such as also shown in the patents referred to therein, the general bearing arrangements for the cylinders and rollers and supports thereof in fixed frame and movable carriage elements being well known in themselves.

The device of the present invention comprises a stationary press frame 11 in which there are rotatably supported a common impression cylinder 12 and five blanket cylinders 13, mounted in bearings held in eccentric bushings 14, together with five plate cylinders 15. Suitable shafting for driving all these elements in synchronism is provided but is not shown herein. The ink motions for the various plate cylinders comprise, in each case, form rollers 16, together with distributing rollers 17, transfer rollers 13 and ink fountains 19, while the water motions comprise, in each case, a dampening roller 20, transfer roller 21 and water fountain 22. The ink motions and water motions are mounted in movable frame structures or carriages 23 and 24, which are supported on rollers 25 and may be moved into and out of operative position by means of hand wheels 26 and mechanism not shown, or by hydraulic or other suitable power mechauisms.

As will be understood, it is necessary in this as in Jther offset printing machines to wash up from time to :ime the plates and plate cylinders-and to trip off the hiking device when the press is stopped, but itis desirable water on the plates.

ice

'that the dampening device remain in place relative to the plate cylinders while this is being done in order to keep FIG. 2 shows mechanism for accomplishing this object. As there shown, the dampening device of water motion (which is typical apart from obvious repositioning of parts) comprises a fountain 22 previously referred to and having a rotary fountain roller or water supplying element 22', these elements being fixedly carried in the carriage frame (23). The intermediate transfer roller 21 is also mounted on a fixed axis to the carriage frames and carries pivotally a bell crank 30, one arm of which is equipped with a socket 31 having a gap 32 hingedly connected to it by link 33, which socket supports the roller 20 in the usual manner, so that as the bell crank must swing around the axis the roller 20 moves around the roller 21 but remains in contact therewith and the axial spacing of these two rollers is not disturbed. The lower arm of bell crank 30 is connected by means of a stud 34 to one end of a spring poppet rod 35, which arm is slidably carried in a bushing 36 which, in turn, is threadably engaged and supported in a poppet or pivotal stud member 37 mounted on the carriage (23), the poppet rod having a limited movement so as to form a stop for the bell crank 30 and form roller 20 when the carriage 23 is moved back to plate changing position. A compression spring 38 engages the bushing 36 on one end and a thrust collar or rod at the other, thus tending to move the bell crank 30 in counter clockwise direction or direction to cause it to increase its engagement with the plate cylinder 15. By turning the threaded. bushing 36, the force exerted by spring 38 will be adjusted, as desired.

A stop screw 39 carried in a threaded bore and rotatable stud or poppet 40 mounted on the fixed frame 11 of the machine is provided and is set so as to fix the operating position of bell crank 30 and the roller 20 in proper relation to plate cylinder 15. When the carriage is moved back, the pivot center of bell crank 3t) moves with it, thus permitting counter clockwise rotation of the bell crank 30 by the spring 35 so as to maintain contact between roller 20 and plate cylinder 15 (when the carriage is moved back, the rollers 21 and 20 assume positions such as indicated in the broken lines of FIG. 2) when the carriage 23 is moved back to plate changing position, the poppet 35, having a limited stroke, serves as a further stop to limit movement of the bell crank 30 and form roller 20.

What is claimed is:

1. A multicolor web offset press comprising an impression cylinder, a plurality of blanket and plate cylinders grouped therearound, a fixed frame supporting the said impression, blanket and plate cylinders, a corresponding plurality of inking mechanisms and water motions, a pair of movable carriages positioned on opposite sides of the impression cylinder and supporting the said ink motions and water motions, each such carriage supporting a plurality of said ink motions and Water motions and being movable horizontally for tripping off the ink motions, each water motion comprising a transfer roller and a form roller, means supporting the form roller for pivotal movement about the axis of the transfer roller, yielding means for urging the form roller into contact with the plate cylinder, whereby the said yielding means maintain the water motion form roller in contact with the plate cylinder when the carriage which supports the water motion is moved back to trip off the ink motion, and stop means for limiting movement of the water motion form roller when the carriage is in printing position.

2. A multicolor web offset press comprising an impression cylinder, a plurality of blanket and plate cylinders grouped therearound, a fixed frame supporting the said impression, blanket and plate cylinders, a corresponding plurality of inking mechanisms and Water motions, a pair of movable carriages positioned on opposite sides of the impression cylinder and supporting the said ink motions and water motions, each such carriage supporting a plurality of said ink motions and Water motions and being movable horizontally for tripping off the ink motions, each water motion comprising a transfer roller and a form roller, means supporting the form roller for pivotal movement about the axis of the transfer roller, yielding means for urging the form roller into contact with the plate cylinder, a stop carried by the said fixed frame and engaging the said form'rollersupporting means for limiting movement of the form roller toward the plate cylinder, the said stop being positioned for disengagement from the said means upon moving back the carriage, whereby the said yielding means maintain the water --motion form roller in contact with the plate cylinder when the carriage which supports the Water motion is moved back to trip oif the the ink motion.

3. A multicolor Web oifset press comprising an impression cylinder, a plurality of blanket and plate cylinders grouped therearound, a fixed frame supporting the said impression, blanket and plate cylinders, a corresponding plurality of inking mechanisms and Water motions, a pair of movable carriages positioned on opposite sides of the impression cylinder and supporting the said ink motions and water motions, each such carriage supporting a plurality of said ink motions and Water motions and being movable horizontally for tripping oil the ink motions, each water motion comprising a transfer roller and a form roller, means supporting the form roller for pivotal movement about the axis of the tranfer roller, yielding means for urging the form roller into contact with the plate cylinder, a stop carried by the said fixed frame and engaging the said form roller supporting means for limiting movement of the form roller toward the plate cylinder, the said stop being positioned for disengagement from the said means upon moving back the carriage, whereby the said yielding means maintain the water motion form roller in contact with the plate cylinder when the carriage is moved back to trip off the ink motion, and a further stop carried by the movable carriage for limiting movement of the Water motion form roller by said yielding means when the carriage which supports the water motion is moved back to plate changing position.

4. A multicolor Web offset press according to claim 1, in which the said means supporting the form roller comprises a bell crank pivotally movable about the transfer roller axis, a form roller supporting socket in one arm of the bell crank and the said yielding means comprises a poppet spring engaging the other arm of the bell crank.

5. A multicolor web offset press according to claim 4, comprising also an adjustable stop carried by the fixed frame and engaging the second mentioned bell crank arm to limit movement thereof in printing position.

6. A multicolor Web offset press according to claim 5, comprising also a second means carried by the movable carriage for limiting movement of the said bell crank by the said yielding means.

7. A multicolor web offset press according to claim 6, comprising also means carried by the carriage for rotating the bell crank in the direction opposite to the said yielding means for separating the said form roller from the plate cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PAT ENTS 979,791 Pancoast Dec; 27, 1910 1,029,239 Smith June 11, 1912 1,576,599 Goulding Mar. 16, 1926 2,397,053 Schneider Mar. 19, 1946 2,545,836 Albrecht Mar. 20, 1951 2,915,970 Mestre Dec. 8., 1959 

